1. Field
The present disclosure generally relates to manufacturing and, in particular, to laying composite tape on a workpiece. Still more particularly, the present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for laying composite tape on a workpiece by driving robots on a movement surface.
2. Background
Composite materials may be tough, light-weight materials created by combining two or more functional components. For example, a composite material may include reinforcing fibers bound in a polymer resin matrix. The fibers may be unidirectional or may take the form of a woven cloth or fabric.
In manufacturing composite structures, layers of composite material are typically laid up on a tool. The layers may be comprised of fibers in sheets. These sheets may take the form of fabrics, tape, tows, or other suitable forms. In some cases, resin may be infused or pre-impregnated into the sheets. These types of sheets are commonly referred to as prepreg.
With some currently available methods for laying down composite material, laying the composite tape may be performed by a robotic arm. The operations of the robotic arm may be limited to the reach of the robotic arm. Further, conventional robotic arms may be mounted to a floor or a track, thus limiting the range of the robotic arm.
Further, to decrease the amount of time to form a workpiece, additional robotic arms and additional end effectors may be used. However, conventional robotic arms may be large. A limited number of conventional robotic arms may fit within a manufacturing environment. Additionally, each robotic arm may only lay down a limited amount of composite tape at a time. In some cases, laying down composite tape using robotic arms, each with an end effector, may be more time-consuming or expensive than desired. Further, laying down composite tape using multiple robotic arms may be less efficient than desired. Yet further, coordinating multiple robotic arms may be more difficult than desired.
Further, the robotic arms may be tethered to locations on the floor of the manufacturing environment. As a result, the manufacturing environment may not be easily changed to accommodate different sizes or shapes of workpieces. Therefore, it would be desirable to have a method and apparatus that take into account at least some of the issues discussed above, as well as other possible issues.